Pneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus.



C. S. JENNINGS. PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 111111: 27, 1907.

1,130,518. Patented Mar.2,1915.

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0. s. JENNINGS. PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS. APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 27, 1907- 1,130,518, Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

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I War/62y? THE NORRIS PETERS CQ. PHOTG-LITHO" WASHINGTUN. D4 L1 UNTTED s'rarus earner orrrca CHESTER SNOW JENNINGS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICAN PNEUMATIC SERVICE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PNEUMATIC-DESPATCH-TUIBE APPARATUS.

Application filed June 27, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, CHESTER SNow JEN- NINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic-Despatch-Tube Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic despatch tube apparatus and particularly to those systems which comprise a single transmission tube through which the carrier can be despatched in either direction.'

One of the principal objects of this invention is to 'control'the power from either terminal of said tube in such a manner as to cause the blower or pump which is connected with one end of the tube to supply a current of air in the proper direction of the transmission of the carrier. This is preferably accomplished by means of an electrically operated pole changer or reversing switch controlled from either terminal and adapted to start, stop or reverse the direction of rotation of the motor driving the blower or pump and necessarily changing the direction of the current of air'in the transmission tube.

Another object of this invention is to automatically stop the motor when the carrier has reached either terminal, thereby limiting the use of the power to the interval necessary for the proper transmission and delivery of the carrier. I

These and other objects will be herein after referred to. I

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a construction embodying my invention: Figure l is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus showing electric-controlling mechanism; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the circuit-breakers and the lock valve. tion taken on line IIIIII of Fig. '2.

A and B represent two stations connected by the transmission tube O which tube is normally open to the atmosphere at station A and closed at its opposite end by a valve D. The end of the tube or terminal at sta- Specification of Letters Patent.

to throw back the lever F Fig. 3 is a detail secv Serial No. 381,028.

tion B is connected by a pipe C with the blower E which is driven by an electric motor M through belt M. The motor M is series wound and its circuit includes a normally open switch or pole changer P by means of which the motor M may be started in either direction or stopped.

R. is an ordinary cutout switch connecting the motor circuit with the line wires L and L. 1

The valve D is normally held closed by a spring D and is adapted to be locked closed, when a pressure which is greater than the atmosphere is generated and supplied to the tube C, by means of a lock lever D pivoted at D*' and carrying a projection D on its outer end. Located in close proximity to'the valve D is a casing F containing the magnets F which are adapted to operate upon one endof the bell crank lever F pivoted at F the magnet, the other end of the lever F carrying a latch F adapted when magnets F are energized to engage the projection D when the lever D is closed against the valve D to positively hold the said valve locked in closed position. A spring F is adapted and release the lever D when the magnets F are deenergized. Located adjacent the stations A and B are the casings G in which are located the contacts G and a normally closed circuitbreaker G pivoted at Gr to'the casing G. A trip Gr projects into the transmission tube C and is jointed at G so as to be operated by the carrier in transit in one direction only to open the circuit-breaker, that is. the trip G located nearest the station A will be operatedto break the circuit only by the carrier traveling toward that station, while the trip Gr located nearest the'station B will be operated only by thecarrier traveling in the reverse direction. To this end the.

engagement with the lower extremities of the spring contacts G and thereby break the circuit. A polechanger P having an extended arm P is adapted to be operated by the magnets S and T to reverse the direc- Patented Mar. 2, 1915. v

and which-acts as an armature for loo tion of rotation of the motor M. The pole changer P is normally held open by a spring P The magnets S and T are controlled respectively and operated from theterminals A and B by the push buttons a and 3);

When the carrier is to be despatched from station A. to station 13 the carrier is inserted into the tube C at station A and the button or switch a is closed by the operator energizing the magnet S and attracting the armature w on the extended arm P of the pole changer P, causing the said changerto swing and engage the contactsN and M closing the motor circuit through line Wire L, arm P, wires n and m, motor M, and thence through a wire mi, arm P to line wire L, thereby starting. the motor, and

through blower E causing a vacuum or cur-' rent of air tobe establishedin thetube C,

and causing tiie carrier to, be transmitted fromstation A to station E.

The circuit through the .magnet S with the button a closed is flS:.fOll0WS2-fl"0l11 the battery Z through wire Z, buttons a, wires 8, through magnet S, thence through wire:

Z to battery Z. The arm P has in the meantime engagedcontacts-p and p closing a circuit as followsvzfrom the battery .Z

through wires Z a- 79 magnet S, wires, 0011-.

tact p, arm PF, contact 7), Wire 7?,.magnets F wire circuit breakersG pbi Iwav of' wire 9; thence back to the batteries through wires 9 and Z. The automatic closingof this switch permits the release of p'ushbutposition by the spring P as shown in Fig. 1, thereby stopping the motor Mend blower. v

E. The carrier now discharges through the valve D at stati on B. In despatching a carrienfrom station B to stationA-the oper-1. ator opens the valve 1) and inserts a; carrier,

into thetube C and pushes the lockelever'Df upward v at the same time closing the pushbutton Z) which energizes the magnets F and Operatingthelver F causing the latch F to engage the projection D of the lever trip for rendering a movement thereof, by

a passing carrieryidle when said carrier is traveling in one direction and operative D flocking the valve Dl in closedposition.

and'starting the motor M and blower E in be despatched toward the station A.

The circuit when the push-button, b

The closingbutton 6-. energizes the magnet T and throws the: pole changer P 1 in the opposite direction from.that.herein-,. before described closing the motor circuit,

closed is as follows :from the batteries Z, through wire Z magnet T wire 5', pushbutton Z), wires 6 and f, through magnets F, wire f, circuit-breakers G by way of wire 9, through a normally closed circuitbreaker in the upper casing Gr (this last circuit breaker not being shown in detail since it is substantially like the circuit breaker in the lower casing G) thence through wires 9 and Z to the batteries Z. At the same time a circuit is closed as follows: from the batteries Z, through wire Z magnet T, wires 6 and 1 2 contact 25, arm P contact t, wires 6 and f,=thr0ugh magnets F, wire f, circuit-breakers G by way of wire g, thence through the wires 9 and Z to the batteries Z. This circuit permits the release of the push-buttonb by the operator at the same time retaining the magnet T energized, holding pole changer P in operating position. The carrier on approaching station A engages the trip G nearest that station, causing the circuit-breaker G to operate to break the circuit, allowing the pole changer P to resume normal or open'positionby means of springs P stopping the motor M and the blower E. At the same timethe magnets F are deenergized releasing through latch E the lock-leverD,

.-which drops to the position shown in Fig;

2, unlocking the valve D. The carrier now discharges through the open end 'of the tube U at station A.

Having thus described my invention and set forth a construction embodying the same,

wWhfit I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a pneumatic despatch tube appa- -.ratus,:a singletube forthe transmissionof carriers in either direction, stationsloca'ted at opposite ends of the tubeyan' air pump connected with said tube adjacent one of said stations a motorfordriving said pump a motor con 'rolliiig :dcvice, means located at one'of said stations for controlling said mo ,tor controlling device to start the motor 1 in none direction, means located at the other station for'controlling said motor controlling device-to start themotonin the opposite *(IllIGClllOH, and means for automatically stoppingsaid motor upon the arrivalotthe ,carrier at one of said stat1ons',' sa1d motor stopping means including a trip projecting into said tube and means ce-acting Wltll said when the carrier is moving in'an opposite direction.

2.1n a .1pneumatic despatch tube appa ratus, a tube for the transmission of carriers closed position,

locking said -.closure in its means for actuating said latch, an air pump, a motor for driving said pump, and means co-acting with said latch actuating means for starting said motor when said latch actuating means are rendered operative to dispose said latch in its locking position.

3. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers in either direction, stations located substantially at orifices of said tube, an air pump connected with said tube, connections leading from said pump to a point in said tube adjacent one of said stations, a motor for driving said pump, acontrolling device for said motor and pump, means, a controlling part of which is located at one of said stations, for causing said motor to drive said pump in one direction, means, a controlling part of which is located at another of said stations, for causing said motor to drive said pump in an opposite direction, said motor controlling device comprising movable parts all of which are normally movable solely by said last two mentioned means, said controlling parts located at said stations each having a bias for a determined position thereof and being respectively adapted to exercise control of said motor and pump in manner aforesaid only when moved out of said position, said apparatus having provisions for causing said motor to continue to drive in Whichever direction it has been started at least until the delivery of the carrier being propelled by the air current through said tube resulting from such driving of the motor, said controlling parts being each free to return to their respective determined positions aforesaid, after being actuated, while leaving the motor and pump subject to said provisions.

4. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers in either direction, said tube provided at an orifice thereof with a closure having a bias for normally closing said orifice, a positively acting member for locking said closure in its closed position, means for actuating said positively acting member, an air pump, a motor for driving said pump, and means co-acting with said actuating means for starting said motor when said positively acting means is disposed in its locking position.

5. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers in either direction, said tube provided at an orifice thereof through which carriers emerge, with a closure having a bias for normally closing said orifice, a movable part adapted to retain said closure in its closed position against pressure exerted in said tube tending to open said closure when a carrier is being transmitted through said tube away from said orifice, said part having a tendency for movement into a position to free said closure, whereby the emergence of a carrier traveling toward said orifice may be substantially unimpeded, means for holding said part in engagement with said. closure, and means for establishing a carrier propelling current of air in either direction through said tube, said holding means being operative only when said last mentioned means is operative to establish said current of air in a direction to transmit a carrier away from said orifice.

6. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers in either direction, stations located substantially at orifices of said tube, an air pump connected with said tube, connections leading from said pump to a point in said tube adjacent one of said stations, a motor for driving said pump, a controlling device for said motor and pump, means, a controlling part of which is located at one of said stations, for setting said controlling device to cause said motor to drive the pump in one direction, means a controlling part of which is located at another of said stations, for setting the same device to cause said motor to drive the pump in an opposite direction, said motor controlling device comprising movable parts all of which are normally movable solely by said last two mentioned means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHESTER SNOW JENNINGS. Witnesses: ANNIE O. RICHARDSON,

FRED O. FISH.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington. D. C. 

